March 2004

Chiropractic heroes

by Dr. Ben Lerner

We live in a society that immortalizes and deifies people based on their ability to handle a ball or a puck. We look to them as well as TV, movie, and music celebrities as authorities in areas of health, politics, and whatever else is considered socially right.

As a result of who we have decided to respect and make our leaders, we have lost our moral and educational compass. One of the many steps we can take as Doctors of Chiropractic is to begin choosing our heroes and our sources of information more wisely.

If I were to ask someone in our profession who they'd rather meet, Rob Schiffman, D.C. or Michael Jordan, who would they choose?

If I were to hold one chiropractic seminar featuring Fabrizio Mancini, D.C. and Terry Rondberg, D.C. and another seminar with Andrew Weil, M.D., Deepak Chopra, M.D., and Lance Armstrong, which one would have more attendees?

It has been my experience that we would rather meet and listen to Michael Jordan, Dr. Weil, Deepak, and Lance. Not to take anything away from the accomplishments of these people, but I think we're worshipping the wrong heroes. As someone who has rarely had fewer than 1,000 people per week adjusted in any of my clinics over the last decade, I can tell you that I would choose to meet Dr. Schiffman and sit in front of Dr. Mancini and Dr.Rondberg in a seminar any day over those other gentlemen.

When I worked at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Dallas, USA Wrestling had a slogan "Real Wrestlers, Real Heroes." This was to combat the growing popularity of fake wrestling and help people to see who were the real pros, the real heroes.

The 'Chiropractic Hall of Fame'

There are many people both past and present who deserve to be inducted into the 'Chiropractic Hall of Fame' and Dr. Greg, Dr. Rob, and I do not claim to be the foremost authorities on who should be on the list. However, here are the two people this month I would like to suggest should be inductees:

*** Dr. Fabrizio Mancini. Dr. Mancini is a leader's leader. What he has accomplished by taking attendance at Parker seminars from less than 2,000 to 10,000 in just a few years is an undertaking that's never been matched in our history. His ability to be objective and put leaders from all the different camps in chiropractic in the same room and get them to agree or agree to disagree is second to none.

He is a bright light for the future of chiropractic and is truly helping to lead us toward unity and our rightful pre‑eminent place in the health care arena. Dr. Mancini is undeniably a REAL HERO.

*** Dr. Rob Schiffman.

A leader for the Gonstead Mount Horeb organization ‑‑ and possibly the highest‑volume solo‑practicing D.C. in chiropractic history ‑‑ Dr. Schiffman states that the only thing greater than his volume is his retention of lifetime maintenance patients.

I have had the unique privilege of seeing Dr. Rob work. Using specific, scientific chiropractic care, he adjusts a whopping 3,000 people per week! He simply knows more about healing, procedure, efficiency, and how to love and serve people than anyone I have ever seen. His personal commitment to excellence in his prayer life, physical fitness, and dedication to his family allows him to help this many patients and coach chiropractors at the same time. There is no greater resource for Chiropractic information than this REAL HERO.

If there were a 'Chiropractic Super Bowl,' I'd want these two guys on my team.

I'd like to suggest to you that what you do is bigger than you may think it is. While I love sports, movies, and best‑selling books just like the next person, I really admire and respect chiropractors. D.C.s are the ones stepping out alone onto the mission field, fighting against life‑destroying subluxation and the threat of today's lifestyle and the drug industry. You do this despite being desperately outnumbered and scrutinized by conventional wisdom.

Against all odds and with the constant potential for rejection, you tell your story, and bend over patient after patient sharing love, hope, and the most powerful tool of God in the health care world ‑‑ the chiropractic adjustment.

Pro athletes, motion picture stars, and famous authors are great, but they are not heroes. YOU are!

(Dr. Ben Lerner, Dr. Greg Loman and Dr. Rob Schiffman manage Teach The World About Chiropractic, a coaching, seminar, and product company and Body by God International. They have three of the highest‑volume clinics in the history of chiropractic. Dr. Lerner, author of the New York Times best‑selling book, "Body by God: The Owner's Manual For Maximized Living," was the chiropractor for the Olympics of 1996 and 2000.)